Through Time
by mysticblue17
Summary: [Future fic] When Finn comes back from a diplomatic mission, he finds that things are not as he left them. (written pre 113 We are Grounders Part 2)


Title: Through Time  
Author: mystic_blue17  
Summary: [Future fic] When Finn comes back from a diplomatic mission, he finds that things are not as he left them. (written pre 113 We are Grounders Part 2)

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters or plots nor do I plan on receiving any profit from writing about them.

A/N: AHHH finale. Shoot me a message if you want to rehash it. I'm flailing over here. Also this is a repost from my tumblr.

* * *

Finn adjusted the strap of his grey bag on his shoulder as he approached the guard post.

"Name?" The guard on duty asked.

"Finn Collins." He answered simply.

The guard types his name quickly into the computer and pulls up his file. The guard nods as he opens the gate. "Welcome back Ambassador Collins."

Finn shifts awkwardly. The title still chafes him. "Thanks."

He sets off towards to heart of the settlement smiling at the progress the place has made as he walks. Even at a cursory look at the area he could see so many changes from when he had left nearly seven years ago.

He shakes his head at the sight of two teens sneaking out of their respective homes, hand in hand, no doubt causing a few grey hairs for their respective parents. He smiled as he looked at the small girl, watching her blue and red ball bounce up and down. Her pigtails floating in the wind as she tracked itself movements over and over again.

Finn took a deep breath taking in the fresh smell of the forest that still surrounded the drop ship settlement. It was worlds away from the heavy desert air from which he just travelled to.

"Finn!" His name pierced through the air. The low masculine voice was instantly familiar. Bellamy came into his view, weaving through a small group of people. The man himself looked happy. There was an air about him now. When they had crashed, Bellamy had always had this frenzied energy about him. But now, there was a steady confidence to his stride.

"Hey man." Bellamy greeted.

"Bellamy. It's been forever." Finn responded as they shook hands, a sense of camaraderie to their actions.

Bellamy turned to the group, "Do you mind waiting for a bit guys?" He jerked his head towards Finn and joked. "I don't want him to get lost around here."

The group seemed to consent. Bellamy clapped his hand onto Finn's shoulder. "Let me show you around."

The two of them set off through the town. The majority of their conversation was Bellamy's guide through town, pointing out the town library, the local watering hole, the residential area etc. interspersed with anecdotes of Finn's worldly travels. He spoke of the places that he had gone to his diplomatic missions. He recounted the dry heat of one desert. There were stories of raw fish eaten intentionally off the coast. Another story of meeting foreign diplomats with that enjoyed having needles put in for relaxation purposes. He swore he never felt so relaxed as in the moments after the needles pierced the skin.

They came to a stop a short period of time later. Finn glances around curiously. "Why did we stop here?"

Bellamy shoots him a knowing look. "Clarke works over there." He points to the grey building over Finn's shoulder.

Finn rubs the back of his neck awkwardly and stammered for a second "Am I that obvious?" Finn just shakes his head "Don't answer that actually."

Bellamy just nods.

"Thanks." Finn says genuinely. "It has been really good see you again." Finn says genuinely.

"Surprisingly good." Bellamy agreed. They grinned.

Finn continued, "We should see each other again while I'm here."

"Sure." Bellamy answers. "I have to check with the Mrs. and let you know. She runs a tight ship."

The shock shows on Finn's face. "You're married!?" He looks then at Bellamy's hands and only then does he notice the band on his ring finger. "Damn man. Congrats."

Bellamy smiles. "Thanks."

"Well then I have to meet your wife. The woman who took Bellamy Blake down. What did you call her? The Mrs.?" Finn questioned.

"You know she hates it when you called her that." Octavia says haughtily as she rounds the corner encountering her brother.

"Half the fun is in the fight." Bellamy says drily. Something in the way he says it makes it seem like they have had this conversation dozens of times.

"Octavia!" Finn exclaims, happy to see another familiar face. And she did look familiar. She has barely aged in the time that he had been gone. She had the same lean yet curvy body. Her hair was longer, almost reaching her waist. He should have guessed Octavia would be here. Where there was one Blake, odds were good that the other was around somewhere close by.

"Finn wow!" Octavia hugs him says pointedly over his shoulder to her brother. "I had no idea you were coming in."

"Yea well, neither did I." Finn answers.

"Well welcome back! Bell giving you the tour?" She asks.

"Yea just finishing walking around for now." Finn answers.

"Did you see the school?" Octavia said pointing to the building across the road from the medical center where Clarke worked. "I bet Bellamy didn't tell you that he worked there. As a history teacher. Isn't that just hilarious?"

Finn arched his eyebrow at him. "A history teacher huh?"

Bellamy shrugged and simply says "I like books. And we already had a librarian."

"When I left, you had a chair on the council." Finn trailed off.

Bellamy answered honestly. "I did. I stayed on for a while after. I liked it but it was time consuming. I found that I like being home in time to pick the Mrs. up from work more. Being on the council didn't always allow for that. I wanted a different kind of life."

"You have given up a lot so that we can live this kind of life." Finn gestured around him. "It's ok to do something for yourself."

Octavia slung her arm around Bellamy's shoulder and said playfully. "Plus Bell has always been good with molding young people's minds."

"Bellamy!" Clarke's voice rings out. She sides up to him and gives him a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Am I late? I'm late aren't I? I was in the lab with Susie and we got talking but I swear you had that wildness lecture for another hour."

Bellamy puts a hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "You aren't late. I do have a walk through. It's running a little late because someone came to camp today."

"Is Mom back?" Clarke looks around as her hand slips into Bellamy's naturally.

"No I am." Finn says from behind her, still recovering from the shock.

Clarke turns to face him for the first time in years. He absorbs the changes in her appearance. Her skin was a bit pink especially on the bridge of her nose, like she spent more time in the sun. She wore a simple outfit of a grey v-neck, which served to make her eyes look bluer standard black pants. The most obvious difference was her hair. Before he had left, one of his greatest pleasures was running his hands through her long wavy blonde locks. But she had cut her hair to where it exploded at her jawline. It was a distinctly adult look to Clarke.

"Finn! Good to see you." She says perfectly pleasantly. Her hand doesn't change grip on Bellamy's. They don't untangle guiltily nor does either of them make any moves to show off what Finn now realizes are matching wedding rings.

"So how was your trip?" Clarke asks.

"Good." Finn pauses and says "I saw monkeys." He had photos in his bag but didn't move to take it out. He had meant for it to be a moment between just the two of them.

Clarke lets out a little laugh. "That's great Finn."

"Yea." He said awkwardly. Finn's eyes dart between Bellamy and Clarke again.

"While you were gone, did you happen to hear who Jaha has named as his successor?" Octavia asks happily, forging ahead despite whatever discomfort Finn was feeling.

"No." Finn says unsure if he wants to find out the answer.

Octavia, Bellamy and Clarke all shared an amused look.

"Monty!" Octavia proclaims joyfully.

"No joke?" Finn asks.

Bellamy just nods in confirmation and says "He is going to be great."

Finn tips his head back and seems to think it over. "He is pretty level headed." He then jokes. "It's just weird to think about our future leader as the same person who got high and ate a pinecone."

They all shared a laugh. That pretty effectively cut the tension. The four of them then caught up easily. Eventually, Bellamy checks his watch and realizes that he is well overdue to rejoin his group.

He squeezes Clarke's hand and suggests "You should show Finn the barn." The trust is evident on his face.

She smiles at him easily. Delight highlighting her face. "You know I never turn down a reason to go see Katrina." Katrina being Clarke's horse that Bellamy got her as a wedding present.

He winks at her. "I'll see you at home then." He then talks to Finn and shakes his hand once more. "Good to see you seriously."

Finn nods and agrees.

"I have to go finish off my last talk." Bellamy says then turns to his sister and offers. "O you want me to walk you home first?"

"Naw." Octavia scoffs at him. At least one thing hasn't changed around here.

"I'll walk you back over to the gate though." Octavia offers with a glint in her eyes as she challenges Bellamy. Bellamy rolls his eyes at her playfully.

Octavia pulls Finn in for a quick hug. "Don't be a stranger."

* * *

The Blake siblings set off to the gate.

Octavia asks him faux casually. "You sure you know what you are doing there?"

Bellamy answers easily confident. "No worries here lil sis. Clarke and I have already gone through the worst and we are still together. I trust her to see an ex."

* * *

Clarke and Finn make their way to the barn. It was probably the largest building in town to accommodate bigger animals like cows and horses. The two of them walk down the center of the barn stopping to peek at the animals. Finn is clearly impressed by the set up.

They stop in Katrina's penning. Clarke greets her horse with a happy smile, picks up a brush and starts grooming her. This horse thankfully only has one head. Her coat is chocolate brown with one white spot over her left eye. She is simply beautiful.

"So you're married." Finn says bluntly.

Clarke stops mid stroke of her brush for Katrina's mane. "Yes." She shakes her head at him. "You never asked me to wait for you."

Finn reaches for her hand but she shrugs him off, stepping back further away from him.

"Clarke, I…" The many ways he could finish that sentence float in the air. _I didn't think I had to. I wanted you to. I always thought we would end up together. _

He instead finishes. "No I didn't."

"It wasn't in you to stay Finn. Just like it wasn't in me to ask you to say." Clarke sighed. "I knew what your answer would be. I wouldn't have wanted you to change who you are for us to be together. That's not what a healthy relationship is about."

Clarke's shoulders tense. "It wasn't—It took some time for Bellamy and I to get together. I don't want you to think you didn't matter to me. You did. You do."

She was a private person but she knew that for Finn to get closure, he needed to know. "What I have with Bellamy now is different than what we shared. While you were out there doing what you needed to do, I was here figuring out myself out. And Bellamy… He gets me in ways I don't think anyone else could. Every day we work on our relationship to make it better, more. Every day he proves to me that he was the right choice to make. And I like to think it's the same for me to him. I won't pretend like it has always been easy. It hasn't. But I wouldn't trade it, not for anything."

Finn folded his hands together and tries to breathe evenly though his heart was breaking. "This wasn't what I was expecting when I got here today."

"I'm getting that." She says with an uncomfortable smile.

"But I want you to be happy Clarke." Finn continues sincerely.

"I am." She says as she quickly finishes brushing Katrina again.

"Okay." Finn says. "Then I guess that's all there is to it." He starts to leave the barn.

"Finn," Clarke starts hesitantly, stopping him in his tracks. His heart stutters with hope despite her recent words. "You should stay in town. At least for a little bit. The ten year anniversary of the drop is coming up in a few weeks. You should be here."

Finn shakes his head. His regret weighed him down. He doubted he would stay past the time it would take to debrief.

Clarke saw it in his eyes. "This is your home Finn." She argues. "Just because you and I didn't work out doesn't change that fact."

Finn thinks he could argue that point but decides to just let it lie. "I'll think about it." He shrugs noncommittally.

Clarke says her goodbyes to Katrina, not without the promise of visiting the next day. They walk back to the main part of town together in silence and part ways with a smile.

* * *

A/N: Let me know if you like it. It's a bit hard to hit the stride where they are still in character but they have also grown up some. Like Octavia isn't so stressed about surviving that she can be funny and Clarke has mellowed over time. Speaking of, I totally have some ideas for backstory (ie the delicious part of Bellamy and Clarke getting together) but I want to know if you want it. Thanks!


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